Growing into citizenship: The differential role of the media in the political socialization of adolescents

[摘要] European adolescents have become more and more distant from traditional politics. Turnout rates among young voters are dwindling,and many young citizens tum away from news about their national parliament, parties or recent political developments. This,is problematic, because it is of vital importance for any democratic system to stimulate future generations to become active,citizens. This dissertation sheds a light on the role of the media in this process of political socialization. Are the media,part of the reason why adolescents show so little interest in politics? And if so, can the media also be part of the solution,to overcome the gap between the young and politics? Based on political socialization theory this dissertation focuses on three,main areas that are important in the process of becoming a democratic citizen: a) the development of political knowledge;,b) the development of political attitudes; and c) the development of political engagement. For each of these areas the mechanisms,of media influence are studied from several different angles in the empirical chapters of this dissertation.,

[发布机构] University of Amterdam